Prepare yourself.
The Rogue Theatre is, in director David Morden's words, about to serve up "something new and different that you haven't seen before."
That something is a three-course meal of short plays by the great Irish playwright Samuel Beckett.
"Beckett's plays are in a class of their own," said Morden, savoring the chance to stage works by the Nobel Prize-winning author of such classics as "Waiting for Godot" and "Endgame."
"He's so unique in the way he writes and the experience he gives you. For some, that's a wild ride. For me, it's a sensory experience. The way he constructs a script strikes you at a deeper level - you feel his words, and get physical sensations from him. It's a really unique experience."
The three one acts - "Krapp's Last Tape," "Not I," and "Act Without Words," aren't really related.
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"They are very different one acts from the same mind," said Morden with a touch of wonder in his voice.
But they have a common theme, as does much of Beckett's work, he added.
"Self-examination is the thread," said Morden.
"My feeling is Beckett is always asking us, 'What are you doing with your life? Are you making the most of your life?' I think most of his stuff demands we look at ourselves."
"Krapp's Last Tape" is perhaps the most traditional of the pieces in that it is a narrative. Still, there isn't anything else like this play about Krapp, who is celebrating his 69th birthday. As he does on every birthday, Krapp will tape record his life over the previous 12 months. And he will listen to tapes of his younger self. Through these tapes, he is confronted with who he was and what he's become.
Beckett loved to work things down to the most essential elements. And he did not with "Not I" - which features a pair of lips talking. You don't even see the actor.
"Directing it is almost luxurious," said Morden. "You don't have to worry about entrances or exits or movements. It's really digging in and deciphering the text."
The short monologue is "dealing with the forces of the universe," said Morden.
"The character is describing something happening to a woman, and you realize she is the woman, but she refuses to admit she's the one she's talking about. It's the idea of self-awareness - can you accept what happens to you?"
"Act Without Words" is the final Beckett presented by Rogue. And it is - you guessed it - a one act without any dialogue.
"It's a character dealing with the forces of the universe," said Morden. "The universe keeps offering, then taking away."
The evening of Beckett plays promises to be an intriguing ride.
"I think of it as getting on a mental roller coaster," said Morden. "They are funny, challenging, unexpected. Come ready for something new and different that you haven't seen before."
If you go
• Short plays by Samuel Beckett: "Krapp's Last Tape," "Not I" and "Act Without Words."
• Presented by: The Rogue Theatre.
• Director: David Morden.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through March 14.
• Where: The Rogue Theatre, 300 E. University Blvd., in the Historic Y.
• Tickets: $24. March 4 and 11 are "pay-what-you-will' nights.
• Reservations/information: www.theroguetheatre.org or at 551-2053.
• Cast: Joseph McGrath, Cynthia Meier and Patty Gallagher.
• Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission.
Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
